Weft-magazine for wire-fence looms.



Na. 771,151. PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904. v. HOXIE.

WEFT MAGAZINE FOR WIRE FENCE LOOMS.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 25, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

81111 25515 v fig? 1 011 15, W lay W Jim- 2 SHEETSSHBET 1.

No. 771,151. PATENTED SEPT. 27, 1904.

v v. HOXIE. WEFT MAGAZINE FOR WIRE FENCE LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wqlforgzys Patented September 27, 1904 IUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VERNON HOXIE, OF ADRIAN, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO LAMB IVIRE FENCE (10., OFADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

W EFT-MAGAZINE FOR WIRE-FENCE LOOMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters yatent No. 771,151, datedSeptember 27, 1904. Application filed January 25. 1904. Serial No.I90,582. (N0 model.)

To (LZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, VERNON Hoxrn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Adrian, in the county of Lenawee and State of Michigan. haveinvented a new and useful WVeft-Magazine for VVire-Fence Looms, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in machines or loomsemployed in the manufacture of wire fences.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a magazine by whichthe picket or weft-wires may be automatically fed to the mechanisms forapplying the clips or other securing devices by which they are securedto the longitudinal or warp strands.

' A further object of the invention is to provide a magazine of suchnature as to permit the feeding of the wires by gravity.

' A still further object of the invention is to provide a magazine intowhich a large number of wires may be placed either automatically or byhand and allowed to feed by gravity or by means of suitable mechanism toa discharge-point, the wires being at all times in view of the operator,so that he may remove twisted and cut wires or, if necessary, straightenout any of the wires which may become crossed, it being possible toremedy any defects long before the wires arrive at the discharge-point,so that it will be unnecessary for the operator to stop the machine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide apick-up mechanismfor controlling the discharge of the wires from the magazine, so thatonly a single wire may be discharged at each operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an automatic meansfor adjusting the wires longitudinally before their entrance to thedies, so that a proper length of wire may be left at each end forattachment to the selvage-Wires.

- WVith these and other objects in view, as will hereinafter more fullyappear, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangementof parts hereinafter descri bed, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it beingunderstood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, andminor details of the structure may be made without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a general perspective viewillustrating aportion of a wire-fence loom provided with a magazineconstructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a transversesectional elevation of the magazine. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of aportion of the mechanism, showing the means for controlling the feed ofthe wires from the magazine. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevationillustrating a slight modification of the invention.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In wire-fence looms as usually constructed the cross strands or weftsare supplied one at a time to the dies forming the tie or stay, and

in most cases the Wires are concealed until ready to be dropped inposition, so that the operator of the machine cannot tell whether or nothe has a Weft for the next operation of the machine, this doubt beingoccasioned by the possibility of a tangle in a bundle of wires or thefailure of the feeding mechanism to assume proper position when the diesare open and ready to receive the wire. With a machine of this patternit also frequently happens that only aportion of a weftis deliveredthatis, a partial picketwhich action may be occasioned by the samecircumstances that would provide no Wefts at all.

In carrying out the present invention one of the principal features ofnovelty resides in the employment of an open magazinethat is to say, amagazine in which the wefts are in full view of the operator, so thatthe latter can readily remove any badly-twisted or broken strands or maystraighten them long in advance of their arrival at the discharge end ofthe magazine.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the general framework of an ordinary formof wire-fence loom, and 2 the dies employed for bending the tie-wires orother connecting-clips around the strands at the point of intersection.The several dies may be operated from a single shaft 3; but as thisportion of the mechanism forms no part of the present invention furtherdetailed description is unnecessary, and it will be understood that themagazine, which forms the principal part of the invention, may beapplied to any form of loom for the manufacture of wire fabric withoutdeparting from the invention.

The frame of the magazine is formed of end -bars 4, that are connectedby a plurality of angle-bars 5, that are spaced from each other andserve as supports for a number of pairs of inclined bars 6, and thespaces between these bars constitute the magazine.

The upper ends of the bars are flared outward] y to form a widened mouthfor the convenient introduction of the weft-wires and the space betweenthe bars is but slightly greater than the diameter of the wire to befed, so that it will be practically impossible for two wires to becomecrossed while in the magazine. The distance between the end bars isslightly greater than the length of the strands to be fed, so that thefeeding of the wires will not be retarded by the friction between theends of the wires and the end bars.

The wires may be introduced in the top of the magazine either by hand orby any automatic machinery which will first straighten out the wire andthen cut it into the proper lengths, and it will be observed that thetop of the magazine is of such an open character that the operatorfacing the machine may instantly observe any inaccuracies in the feed orbroken or twisted strands and may readily remove the same in advance ofthe arrival of imperfect wires at the discharge end of the magazine.

At the bottom of the magazine is a horizontally-disposed shaft 8,carrying a number of disks 9, that are provided with equidistant grooves10 of sufficient depth to receive a single wire, and these disks are soarranged that in rotating they will pick up the lowermost wires andcarry them one by one from the magazine. The wires move down themagazine by gravity and press against the peripheries or guards of thedisks, and when the alining notches of said disks come opposite thelowermost wire the latter will enter the notches and will be carried upabove the level of the bottom of the magazine, the wires being held inthe groove for a portion of the circumference of the disks by means ofcurved fingers 12, that are secured to the upper reservoir-bars 6.

At one end of the shaft 8 is a suitable feeding means for imparting astep-by-step movement, and in the present instance this mechanism isshown in the form of a ratchet-wheel 15, having teeth of a number equalto the number of grooves or notches 10 in the periphery of one of thedisks. With the teeth of the ratchet-wheel engages a pawl 16, that isconnected by a pitman 17 to a small crank carried by the mainoperating-shaft 3.

At a point below the discharge end of the magazine is arranged a pair ofinclined plates 18, with which the opposite ends of the wirestrands maycome into contact as they fall from the feeding-disks, and these platesserve to adjust the wires longitudinally, so that there will be asufficient length of wire to form the selvage-wrap at each side of thefabric.

In the operation of the device the wires are fed in any suitable mannerto the magazine and pass by gravity to the discharge end thereof. At thedischarge end the lowermost wire presses against the peripheries of theseveral disks, and when one set of alined notches arrive at a pointopposite the wire the latter will enter thereinto, and on the nextmovement ofthe disks the wire will be carried up under the guards 12 ofthe disks. As the disks continue to rotate they will pick up thesuccessive lowermost wires, and when the first wire has passed beyondthe ends of the guard-plate it will fall into proper position to form apart of the fabric.

When used in connection with some classes of looms, the wires may beallowed to fall directly to the tie-forming dies; but in other casesthey may be sustained in an intermediate position, so that they may bemore quickly introduced in proper position, and thus enable the machineto work at greater speed.

It is obvious that the machine instead of being formed of spaced bars 6may be formed of translucent material, such as a pair of sheets ofglass, or its upper face may be provided with a glass panel in order todisplay the contents of the magazine. In either case the wires will beopen to the inspection of the operator, and one orboth ends of suchmagazine will be open in order to permit the operator to withdraw anytwisted or broken strands. This construction is illustrated in Fig. 4,wherein 6 designates a pair of transparent plates through which theoperator may observe the weft-wires. It is not essential that the lowerplate be formed of glass, but in many cases it will be desirable to usea glass plate, so that by transmitted light-rays the contents of themagazine may be more clearly seen.

In order to insure the delivery of the weftwires from the notches 10,wires or strips 19 are arranged at intervals in the width of the loom insuch manner as to force the wires positively from the notches and alsoto guide the same to proper position.

It will be observed that the bars 5 are provided with slotted endportions, through which pass securing-bolts 30, which enter the bars inframe 4. This permits the adjustment of the distance between theopposite sides of the magazine in order to accommodate wires ofdifferent gage.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. Aweft-magazine for wire-fence looms, comprising a pair of sets ofobliquely-disposed spaced bars arranged parallel with each other, saidbars being spaced to permit the removal of imperfect wefts, a series ofdisks arranged at the bottom of the magazine,the disks having peripheralnotches that extend in alinement with each other throughout the series,and means for revolving said disks.

2. The combination in a weft-magazine for Wire-fence looms, of apair ofsets of bars extending in a direction transverse of the loom, andadjustable to vary the distance between them, a plurality of sets ofcross-bars secured to said transverse bars and disposed in parallelrelation to form a magazine, all of said bars being spaced to permit theremoval of imperfect wefts, a series of notched disks at the lowerdischarge end of the magazine, all of said disks being provided withperipheral notches that are disposed in alinement throughout the series,and means for imparting a step-by-step movement to said disks.

3. In Weft-magazines for wire-fence looms,

rality of sets of notched 'disks for receiving the wires from themagazine, a combined stripper and Wire-guide arranged adjacent to thedisks and serving to remove the successive wires from the notches and toguide them to proper position, and means for imparting a step-by-steprotative movement to said disks.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

VERNON HOXIE.

Witnesses:

E. N..SMITH, W. B. COLVIN.

